You're reading: Supreme Court to hear Telegram’s appeal in case of FSB’s demand for encryption keys on August 9

The Russian Supreme Court will hear the appeal of Telegram lawyers against the ruling, which proclaimed lawful the Federal Security Service’s demand for encryption keys necessary to access users’ messages, in early August.

“The hearing has been scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Moscow time on August 9,” a court representative told Interfax.

On October 16, the magistrate court of Moscow’s Meshchansky district imposed a 800,000-ruble fine on Telegram Messenger LLP (London) for the refusal to share encryption keys with the Federal Security Service (FSB) providing access to users’ messages.

Telegram Messenger LLP appealed the ruling and said it should be repealed for seven reasons.

On March 20, the lower instance of the Supreme Court dismissed claims by the messenger lawyers.

On April 13, the Tagansky District Court in Moscow upheld Roskomnadzor’s request for restricting access to the Telegram service in Russia due to the messenger’s failure to provide the FSB with encryption keys for accessing users’ messages.

The court ordered the immediate enforcement and said that Telegram could be unblocked upon the provision of encryption keys to the FSB.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov said earlier it was technically impossible to enforce the FSB’s order.